Troubling report from DOD on military suicides

This sounded as if the DOD was trying to bring understanding as to why servicemembers keep committing suicide after all these years of "training" them to be "resilient" and heal. It is about a sailor "Navy Petty Officer Considers Suicide" but as we read more, we see that he tried to end his life when he was just a child.

They live for the sake of others in combat.

Navy Petty Officer Considers Suicide
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
by Shannon Collins
Sep 11, 2014

WASHINGTON -- This month is Suicide Prevention Month, and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has said preventing military suicides is one of the Defense Department's highest priorities.

"As we observe Suicide Prevention Month," he said in a message to the department's workforce, "we must rededicate ourselves to actively working not only every month, but every day to fulfill our collective responsibility to watch out for each other and take care of each other."

This is the first article in a four-part series about a Navy petty officer who came close to taking his own life but did not do so, thanks to the intervention of his leadership and the use of support networks, and how he continues to brave his battle with alcoholism and depression.

Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Jason Thompson, a mass communication specialist, is an instructor at a joint command in Maryland. He began his journey in Detroit as the child of a mother and stepfather who were drug users. He suffered physical and emotional trauma, he said, and his mother repeatedly told him he was a liar and a cheater, that he was stupid, and that life was only going to get worse.

Because of this, Thompson said, he first thought of suicide when he was 8 years old, and he attempted it when he was 9.
read more here

They are still pushing the notion that these men and women were already "damaged" before they joined the military. Very troubling considering the DOD has psychological tests they give to every recruit before they are allowed in. Saying a servicemember was already troubled when he joined is dangerous. It leaves us believing these men and women were trained to use weapons while mentally challenged by suicidal thoughts.

After all, they can't actually be honest with us and admit their "resilience training" does not work at best, at worse, prevents them from seeking help because they believe they are mentally weak. They have been pushing the same program since 2009. If I could see it would raise suicides as a "non-professional" then why didn't they? Why didn't they stop when the numbers went up? Why didn't they learn anything about the thousands they studied who lived after attempting suicide while in the military multiple times?

This article sold as being helpful only shows how the military doesn't get the simple fact they were already resilient before they joined.

No one can be trained to be resilient. The vast majority of servicemembers face deployments and push past all the pain they carry because their families, their military unit family, is counting on them so they can all go back home. Most suicides happen after deployments into combat and not during it.

The DOD reports on military suicides but they accept no responsibility when veterans commit suicide. Why should they when they are no longer held accountable for what they did to these men and women in the first place? The VA is responsible for veterans, but even they do not know how many veterans take their own lives after risking them for the sake of others.

If we let them get away with controlling the conversation, twisting the truth, then we're going to be counting higher numbers next year among servicemembers and veterans.

Tennessee Veterans Committing Suicide in Higher Numbers

Veteran suicides on the rise in Tennessee
WBIR
Rachel Kinney
September 11, 2014

The physical scars of war are not the only wounds that can be debilitating for veterans. Traumatic events seared in veterans' memories often haunts them off the battlefield through serious illnesses like depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Unfortunately, more veterans in Tennessee committed suicide in 2013 than the previous year. The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and the Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs announced Thursday that the number of veteran suicides jumped from 197 in 2012 to 214 in 2013.
read more here

DOD Military Suicides: One Conversation Can Save A Life

DOD launches ‘Power of 1’ suicide prevention campaign
Popular Military
September 8, 2014

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8, 2014 – As Suicide Prevention Month and year-long Defense Department and Department of Veteran’s Affairs efforts continue to combat suicide, Pentagon officials emphasize the importance of the power of one, peer support and resources.

The DoD, in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs, has launched “The Power of 1″ campaign in observance of Suicide Prevention Month during September 2014. The theme underscores the belief that one person has the power to teach resilience, recognize warning signs, intervene, chat, or make a call; it only takes one person or one act to save another person’s life. “Watching out for each other every day is a collective responsibility for the Defense Department’s military and civilian workforce,” Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said.

“Preventing military suicide is one of DoD’s highest priorities and something I’m personally committed to as Secretary of Defense,” Hagel said. “As we observe Suicide Prevention Month, we must rededicate ourselves to actively working not only every month, but every day to fulfill our collective responsibility to watch out for each other and take care of each other.”

One way service members and DoD civilians can take care of each other is by using the “The Power of One” theme, said Jacqueline Garrick, director of the Defense Suicide Prevention Office.

“One conversation, one text, one chat, could save a life. Know the resources out there,” Garrick said. “Reach out, find the person who can help you; don’t be afraid to have these kinds of conversations, whether you’re the one who needs help or you see someone who needs help.

One conversation can save a life.”

read more here

Aug 28, 2014
Description (required): One small act can make a big difference in the life of a Veteran or Service member in crisis. “The Power of 1,” a public service announcement from the Veterans Crisis Line, shows how taking the time to reach out can be the first step to getting those who served the support they need. A single action — one call, one chat, one text, one conversation — can have a significant impact.

The Veterans Crisis Line connects Veterans or Servicemembers in crisis, as well as their families and friends, with qualified, caring U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs responders through a confidential, toll-free hotline, online chat, and text-messaging service. Veterans and their loved ones can call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1, chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat, or text to 838255 to receive confidential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Reach out. One call can open the door to support.

Reminds me of this video from 2012 www.Moments.org

May 25, 2012
The Vietnam War marked a time of social unrest that divided our nation like never before. Service members returning home with physical and emotional scars were greeted with an unprecedented level of disrespect and dishonor. The courage and sacrifice of our veterans cannot be overstated. When you encounter them, thank them for their service. You never know how powerful those words may be. Find your moment at www.Moments.org.

Combat PTSD, more veterans live with it than die because of it

Anniversary Dates in the Mind Calendar 
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
August 30, 2014

We moved to Florida the summer of 2004 right before the area was hit by Hurricane Charley, Francis and Jeanne. Being from New England, these hurricanes freaked out my family and friends back home. It was a great summer up there but not much fun down here.

Ten years ago and I can still remember what it was like while the wind was making my patio doors move in and out waiting for the big wind to take them out. We were lucky. Some of our neighbors were not. The whole area was mess for a long time.

Living in Florida is strange at times. We get a lot of violent thunderstorms too. Years ago a storm came through producing a tornado near my house but far enough away that all I saw was rain. I was working in the area for a church. I was told the tornado crossed over the church, took off a few roof shingles, then passed by to the next neighborhood producing this.

Seminole County, Florida authorities and National Weather Service Meteorologists are surveying the damage after a tornado struck Oviedo, Florida on Election Night. They said it appears four houses were destroyed or severely damaged, eight were moderately damaged and another 32 suffered minor structural damage. (photos courtesy of The Orlando Sentinel) WKMG-TV reports that four people were injured in the tornado. -ERIC

Two years ago in another part of Oviedo tornado warnings sounded the alarm to find a safe place to wait for the danger to pass.

Tornado Sirens: Oviedo, FL
Jeff Rancourt
December 12, 2012

Anniversaries are not always happy ones. The damage gets cleaned up. Houses get fixed or built over the old foundations. Stuff gets replaced. Memories are a different story. Some fade as the bite is softened but as August came this year it was hard to forget. Some anniversaries sneak up on you.

Somewhere in your mind there is a constant calendar running with the days and rewinding your memory.

For veterans, most of the time, they have no clue what causes them to have harder days than most other days especially when they have PTSD. It seems to happen to them at the same time of year, year after year, lasting for days. They try to figure out what set the depression off and made nightmares stronger. They try to blame it on what someone said or did in the present and most of the time they can pull that off without noticing that the next year brings the same feelings.

If they are not aware of this, it is harder and harder to deal with and push to the past.

If you know a veteran with PTSD, you can see the change coming while they cannot explain what is going on with them. If you are a veteran, it is hard for you to explain it especially if you are not aware the date is connected to a time in your life when something tragic happened.

Take a look back at the months that are hardest for you and then think back to your worst nightmares. Nightmares are connected to events even if the events in the dreams do not meet with what you actually experienced.

Your mind calendar sends out the reminder that you have to take care of something and stop trying to repress it. You need to find a way to make peace with it without forgetting people you cared about. Remember the moments before "it" happened and stop letting that last image be frozen in your mind.

Once you make peace with it, then you can clean up the future, rebuild the foundation and replace the bad memories with ones that less painful.

Some think that they should forget their past but in doing so, you would have to let go of friends you lost, lives saved and people you cared about. You mind will only allow a place for those memories to hide until they gain enough strength to pop up when you least expect them to.

There is nothing about you that cannot be healed even if you cannot be cured. The good news is that you can come out on the other side of this storm better than you were before. The better news is that while it is hard to live with Combat PTSD, more veterans live with it than die because of it.

Veterans fit perfectly with their own

It Depends on Who You Think You Are Now
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
August 24, 2014

How can you fit in with people who don't know you? It all depends on who you think you are after military service.

(NPR)

When average citizens stepped up to fight for freedom, they left their neighborhood without uniforms. Armed with their own weapons, wearing their own clothes, they knew they would have to fight against highly trained British forces.

They left their families, farms and businesses. What many do not talk about is the fact some of their neighbors were still loyal to the King of England and tried to kill them because they couldn't understand what freedom meant to those willing to die for it.

The Patriots obtained our freedom with their lives but it was the generations coming after them taking on the responsibility to retain it.

Army National Guards Units have been active ever since in each state across the nation. They signed up to protect and aid their own communities but ended up being deployed into combat operations with the other full time branches. Marine Corps Units, Army Units, Navy Units, Air Force.

Units became their family and the branch they served in became their community.

When veterans say "I just want to fit back in" the truth is, they never did and never will with civilians but they sure do fit in with other veterans. Civilians can't understand when someone sees defending this nation worthy or dying for.

We can read history but veterans lived it. They were hailed as heroes only a few times. The most memorable images were captured after WWII, but then again, everyone in this country was involved in that war in one way or another. Everyone was asked to do something, and they did. Doing something didn't stop when the war ended. They stepped up and geared up the government to take care of the wounded, the widows and orphans. They committed to helping veterans find jobs and places to live.

When I was growing up there were areas of cities nicknamed "Veterans Villages" where most veterans families settled. Even then veterans felt more at home with their own kind and so did their families.

My uncles served in WWII and my Dad served served in the Korean War. It was odd when my friends said their fathers didn't serve in the military at all but as I grew older the number of non-veteran families grew. For my husband, it was the same way. He's a Vietnam veteran. His Dad and uncles served in WWII. Most of his friends stayed home when he joined. When he came back home he never felt he belonged with any of them other than his buddy after he joined too. As he got older, he found more veterans just like him and knew that was where he felt "home" again.

Vietnam veterans were reviled by society back then. The older veterans didn't want anything to do with them but these veterans showed them what it meant to belong in this minority of military veterans. Vietnam veterans adopted a slogan “Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another” and they kept that promise. Now they are so revered fakes claim to be one of them.

They managed to find each other long before the internet and social media groups connected veterans across the country because they knew they were among the rare.

Today less than 1% serve in the military and only 7% of the population are veterans.

When I hear a veteran say they don't fit in, I agree with them and say "thank God you don't" because if they did, they would be like the rest of us only worried about our own families and our own problems.

They fit in perfectly with other veterans. That is what they all need to be reminded of. Our history is written with their blood, sweat, tears, fears, sacrifices but above all of that, their past is seen in the eyes of other veterans who don't need to guess about what makes them different from the rest of the population.

They come home, leave the family they risked their lives with for 4 years or more and feel as if they don't belong here anymore. Most say they want to go back in because it became part of who they were. No longer Soldier, Marine, Sailor or Airman, no longer civilian, they earned the title of veteran and that is where they belong. That is where they are understood as equals in one of the smallest minority groups there is.

If you are a veteran seek out other veterans because you do fit in and you do belong with them no matter what war they will not leave you behind to fight the hardest battle alone.

Use the internet to find veterans groups in your area.

This has a list of Chartered Veterans Groups

There is one of my favorite groups, the Nam Knights

Membership is made up of 50% police officers (active and retired) and also 50% Viet Nam and other military era veterans, plus a few "Patriots".

The organization's main interests are to stress the importance of helping our fellow police officers and family members that may be in need of assistance. We also place a great deal of importance in the well-being of our veterans and to bringing out the message to the general public about our prisoners of war and those that are missing in action. We support legislation for the benefit of veterans and veteran's facilities, the advancement of studies and treatment of Agent Orange, Post Traumatic Stress and Hepatitis C. Many of our projects are to benefit the Paramus Veterans Home, police personnel and the betterment and enjoyment of motorcycle safety.

We spend most of our free time with the Orlando Nam Knights.

Another favorite is Point Man International Ministries dedicated to healing Combat PTSD with Out Post for veterans and Home Fronts for families.

PMIM is run by veterans from all conflicts, nationalities and backgrounds. Although, the primary focus of Point Man has always been to offer spiritual healing from PTSD, Point Man today is involved in group meetings, publishing, hospital visits, conferences, supplying speakers for churches and veteran groups, welcome home projects and community support. Just about anywhere there are Vets there is a Point Man presence. All services offered by Point Man are free of charge.

I am the state coordinator for Florida and always looking for people to step up and take the lead of getting veterans into healing and out of hopelessness. The groups are designed to be small, much like a unit in the military where veterans feel like they are home again.

You are not alone!

Rep. Bruce Braley missed 79% VA committee meetings

A claim about out raising funds for re-election instead of showing up at Veterans Affairs Committee meetings turned out to not be true, but the fact remains Braley missed 79% of the meetings. It is also true, but hardly ever reported, that most miss these meetings. CSPAN covers them. You can see the empty chairs in session after session. If you want to know why things have hit crisis levels over and over again, that is the biggest reason behind it. Politicians don't show up when veterans need them. Until reporters jump all over a story, they don't even bother to know what they are supposed to be in control of. Every veteran suffering, fighting for care they earned, can thank members of congress for their ambivalence.

Ad says Bruce Braley was raising money during a veterans affairs hearing
Tampa Bay Times
PolitiFact.com
July 25, 2014

A new ad from Concerned Veterans for America says Rep. Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, skipped 79 percent of veterans affairs committee hearings.

Attackers say U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, skipped an important Veterans Affairs Committee hearing to raise money for his campaign, but Braley says that’s not true.

Braley "skipped an astonishing 79 percent of veterans affairs committee hearings. He even skipped an important VA reform hearing to attend three fundraisers," says the television ad from Concerned Veterans for America, an advocacy group with funding linked to the Koch brothers.

Braley is running against Republican Joni Ernst for the U.S. Senate seat held by Tom Harkin, and veterans affairs are in the news because of delayed access to health care.

We looked at whether Braley skipped 79 percent of veterans affairs committee hearings. We rated that Mostly True, because Braley did miss close to that amount.

However, Braley said he did not skip a hearing to raise money, so we’re checking that claim here.

Our ruling

An ad said Braley "skipped an important VA reform hearing to attend three fundraisers."

He had three fundraisers the same day, but none overlapped with the veterans affairs committee hearing. He was counted as present at an oversight hearing about Fast and Furious that happened at the same time.

We rate this claim Mostly False.
read more here

Do you know how many veterans you have in your state?

These numbers are from the VA Veterans Population numbers from September 2013.

California has the largest population of veterans with 1,795,455.
1,356,978 are "war time" veterans with 589,139 Vietnam veterans.
There are 184,774 female veterans.

Number 2 is Texas with 1,667,740 veterans.
1,291,040 are "war time" veterans with 551,137 Vietnam veterans.
There are 191,757 female veterans.

Number 3 is Florida with 1,520,563 veterans.
1,14,894 are "war time" with 490,589 Vietnam veterans.
There are 166,222 female veterans.

Use the above link and check your state to know how many veteran are your neighbors. It is really odd considering there are more female veterans in Texas than there are in California.

Bad outcome:Awareness up, spending up and so are military suicides

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
July 26, 2014

In 2009 I was able to figure out that Comprehensive Soldier Fitness would increase military suicides.

"If you promote this program the way Battlemind was promoted, count on the numbers of suicides and attempted suicides to go up instead of down. It's just one more deadly mistake after another and just as dangerous as sending them into Iraq without the armor needed to protect them."

Finally the reduction of military personnel is being factored in on the suicide reports like this.

After years of attempting to prevent suicides, these numbers are more proof it isn't working. One more factor to include in this is there are less serving this year than last year. According to the DOD Army 537,135 April 2013 went down to 518,576 April 2014. Marines had a decrease from 194,703 to 191,599 and the Air Force went from 334,255 to 329,979. The Navy had an increase from 318,999 to 323,788. But why include the other side of the numbers that do in fact matter?

When you think of the design of the Capitol it is totally appropriate it is a huge circle. Members of Congress keep running around and arriving right back at the same place others started.

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

Over and over again members of Congress come up with Bills to address suicides but other than doing a lot of talking, they simply repeat what has already failed. The military is just as guilty. How is it that no one has been held accountable for the billions spent each year when the result has been more suicides and less recovering?

How is it that Generals like Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno got away with blaming soldiers and their families for suicides and was not ever forced to apologize for what he apparently believes?

"First, inherently what we do is stressful. Why do I think some people are able to deal with stress differently than others? There are a lot of different factors. Some of it is just personal make-up. Intestinal fortitude. Mental toughness that ensures that people are able to deal with stressful situations."

"But it also has to do with where you come from. I came from a loving family, one who gave lots of positive reinforcement, who built up psychologically who I was, who I am, what I might want to do. It built confidence in myself, and I believe that enables you to better deal with stress. It enables you to cope more easily than maybe some other people."

What exactly would he say to veterans after they survived? What would he say to all the Medal of Honor Heroes talking openly about their own issues with PTSD and thinking about suicide? What would he say to Dakota Meyer's face after he did in fact try to kill himself with a gun put up to his head and he pulled the trigger not knowing his Dad removed the bullets?

No one has been held accountable for any of this and we got excuses while families were forced to plan funerals instead of retirements. Think the problem in the VA is bad with claims and wait times for appointments? Then think of this other fact. Senator Joe Donnelly said, "43 percent of service members who committed suicide never sought help. He says trying to combat the problem of military and veteran suicide needs to involve erasing the stigma of seeking help." avoiding the fact that also means 57% committed suicide after seeking help. Next time you read a report on the over 22 veterans a day ending their own lives remember that fact. Next time you read a story on servicemembers committing suicide think of the rest of what you read. If you were not already pissed off then you were not paying attention!

Number of military suicides showing uptick
By Patricia Kime
Staff writer
July 25, 2014

The number of military suicides so far this year is running slightly higher than for the same time frame last year, but without the context of force reductions, the raw data say little about current suicide trends in the armed services.

This year, the four services have seen 162 confirmed or suspected suicides — 151 among active-duty troops and 11 among reserve component members — through July 20, according to Pentagon documents obtained by Military Times.

The Navy and Air Force both had an uptick in suicides, while the Army and Marine Corps are down from their 2013 year-to-date numbers.

In the same period last year, there were 160 total deaths by suicide across the four services. In 2012, there were 209.

While the numbers appear to signal a reversal of the decline in military suicides in 2013 compared to the year before, the breadth of the change, if any, will be determined when the Defense Department calculates the current incidence rate of suicide — a measure that weighs the number of suicides against the number of personnel serving.

The most recent rates published by the Pentagon show that in 2013, the incident rate among active duty personnel was 18.7 per 100,000. In 2012, it was 22.7 per 100,000 — the highest it has been since DoD began closely tracking the data in 2002.

A current incidence rate was not included in the 2014 year-to-date suicide report. The figure is challenging to calculate, since it is based on the number of troops on active duty as well as the number of mobilized Guard and reserve troops — numbers that fluctuate as service members train and move between active and reserve status.

Of the 162 confirmed or suspected suicides to date this year for both the active and reserve components, the service breakdown is Army, 71; Air Force, 34; Marine Corps, 21; and Navy, 36.

This time last year, the figures were Army, 85; Air Force, 25; Marine Corps, 26; and Navy, 24.

The Navy is well ahead of its pace at this time last year and in fact is already closing in on its total of 43 for all of 2013.
read more here

PTSD Brain Game Big Money

When will Americans get it? When do they finally understand that PTSD "research" is a brain game that is costing us millions while veterans get worse? How many more years do they need to "invest" in something that has been occurring since the beginning of time? Now we have another $30 million going into putting implants into brains? When will enough be enough? This is yet one more attempt to revert back to the days of electroshock therapy.

Mass General Awarded Grant to Design Device for PTSD Treatment
The first of its kind device may reduce symptoms of neuropsychiatric disorders like PTSD.
Boston Magazine
By Andrea Timpano
Hub Health
June 30, 2014

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) awarded a $30 million grant to researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General) to design an implantable deep brain stimulation device to treat neurological and psychiatric disorders. The device will be used specifically to reduce symptoms of debilitating conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI).

The National Institute of Mental Health reports that PTSD affects more than 7 million American adults. The CDC reports that TBI was diagnosed in more than 2 million emergency room patients in 2010. That’s why this device could be a true game changer because there is nothing else like it.

In partnership with engineers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Draper Laboratories, researchers plan to build a device that monitors brain signals in real time and stimulates key areas in order to manage troublesome symptoms.
read more here

Ocala Veterans Center Welcomed Changed

Ocala Vet Center relocates
Venue offers free services for combat veterans
Ocala Star Banner
Joe Callahan
Staff Writer
June 19, 2014

Vietnam veteran Nick Lomanjino smiled broadly as he sat in the lobby of the new Ocala Vet Center operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Lomanjino, 65, is a client at the center, which offers combat veterans and their families readjustment services, which include mental health and family and career counseling. The disabled veteran said he was in awe of the remodeled 2,200-square-foot facility, which was unveiled to the public Thursday morning during an open house.

The former 700-square-foot Ocala Vet Center, at 612 SW First Ave., opened in 2010 in the back of a Marion County Fire Rescue emergency medical services station just east of U.S. 441.

"The other site was actually depressing," Lomanjino said. "Though I am glad we had the other vet center, this is much better. This one looks professional, just like the professionals who work here."

The new center is in leased quarters in a business complex at 3300 SW 34th Ave., Suite 140, just north of State Road 200.

It is one of 300 vet centers established around the world since 1979 when Congress approved the counseling concept for Vietnam veterans. The service has since expanded to include all combat veterans.

Ocala was picked as a site for its central location. Sarita Figueroa, the regional manager of 42 vet centers in the Southeastern United States, said Thursday it took four years for the VA to find a location that met strict federal government guidelines. In the case of the Ocala center, the sticking point was that the VA required a five-year lease.

Facts
Marion veterans
The Ocala Vet Center serves combat veterans in Marion and Citrus counties, and those living in The Villages. For information about services offered, call 237-1947.
Marion County
Combat vets: 34,300
Overall vets: 45,745

Citrus County
Combat vets: 9,511
Overall vets: 26,022

The Villages
Combat vets: 7,826
Overall vets: 10,676

Total
Combat vets: 61,637
Combat vets: 82,433
read more here

Last entry error, they must have meant to type overall vets

Senator Tom Coburn forgets he was part of the problem

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
June 15, 2014

Senator Tom Coburn seems to forget that since 2004, he was part of the problem and not the solution. Coburn was complaining about the problems caused by the VA. The problem is, he was in office when it went from bad to worse. Every member of congress is responsible for what happened to our veterans. They want to use the Sgt. Schultz excuse. "I knew nothing."

"I know nothing, I was not here - I did not even get up this morning!"

It is unacceptable that the men and women who bravely fought for our freedom are losing their lives, not at the hands of terrorists or enemy combatants, but from neglect by the very government agency established to take care of them. (Senator Tom Coburn)

(WASHINGTON) -- In this week's Republican address, Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn calls on President Obama to nominate a new Veterans Affairs Secretary to address what he deems "the myriad failings" at the agency.

Acknowledging the recent VA scandal dealing with long wait times and delays, Coburn says, "Veterans who have survived war should no longer have to do battle with bureaucracy to access the best possible care. It’s time to give our combat-impacted veterans the very best care that they have earned and deserve.”

Citing a bipartisan bill recently approved by the Senate, Coburn says passage of the legislation empowering veterans is just the beginning. The lawmaker adds that he will release an oversight report next week that "exposes a culture within the VA where vets are not always a priority and in which administrators manipulate both data and employees to give the appearance that all is well."

Wow sounded like he was really serious but the agency he should have been nailing was the Senate and the House considering they had control over the VA and the budget and held all the hearings year after year. He has been in his Senate office since 2004 but in political office since 1995.

Prior to his election to the Senate, Dr. Coburn represented Oklahoma's Second Congressional District in the House of Representatives from 1995 through 2001. He was first elected in 1994, then re-elected in 1996 and 1998, becoming the first Republican to hold the seat for consecutive terms. Dr. Coburn retired from Congress in 2001, fulfilling his pledge to serve no more than three terms in the House.

Here is another part of his bio.

Dr. Coburn's priorities in the Senate include reducing wasteful spending, protecting your liberty, balancing the budget, improving health care access and affordability, protecting the sanctity of all human life - including the unborn - and representing traditional, Oklahoma values. As a citizen legislator, Dr. Coburn has pledged to serve no more than two terms in the Senate and to continue to care for patients. He is a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. Dr. Coburn also serves as Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

In all those years one thing is clear. He knew about the problems veterans were facing at least in his home state of Oklahoma. Veterans do not suffer quietly. They complain. First they fight for themselves but then when they get the run around, they call the people elected to serve them. Veterans call and the staffer takes the call, figures out what to do and then report to their boss, in this case, Coburn.

Nothing that happened in all these years should have surprised Coburn.

Oklahoma Veterans Center investigation raises more questions in 2008

Or this from 2012

In letters to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel and Congressman James Lankford, state Rep. Anastasia A. Pittman has requested a federal investigation of employment practices, alleged civil rights violations and patient care at the Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The center is in Pittman’s legislative district.

Nearly three months after an 85-year-old veteran died after being scalded in a whirlpool bath at the Claremore Veterans Center, the executive director of the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs has retired and the administrator of the center abruptly resigned.

A veterans affairs official said executive director Martha Spears retired Friday, citing her husband's ongoing medical issues. Claremore Veterans Center administrator Cynthia Adams did not give a reason for her resignation, said Larry Jordan, administrative programs officer at the Department of Veterans Affairs' Claremore division.

Coburn would have known about the VA claims problems too,

An Oklahoma veteran is enjoying a long overdue payday. The former soldier, from Tulsa, finally received $600,000 in back benefits that he was never paid because of a paperwork error.

The veteran wants to keep his privacy about the money, so we won't use his name.

He recently got paid for a claim he filed in 1986.

Coburn would have known about the fact Oklahoma active military and veteran suicides rates were double the general population.

Oklahoma veterans and active-duty military personnel are killing themselves at twice the rate of civilians, despite increased efforts to address the problem.

The 2011 suicide rate for soldiers was about 44 per 100,000 population, according to an Oklahoma Watch analysis of Oklahoma State Department of Health data. This rate includes active-duty military as well as veterans from the post-9/11 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Gulf War, Vietnam, Korea and World War II. The civilian rate for people over the age of 18 was about 22 per 100,000.

In 2011, 141 of the state’s 684 suicides were veterans, according to state health department records.

The veteran suicide rate in Oklahoma is down from a peak of about 46 in 2008, but researchers said that year had increased suicides due to the Great Recession. The rate dropped to about 39 in 2009 and has since climbed back up.

But why remember all that? Why remember all the bills that were passed to "address the problems in the VA" when they had the umteenth chance to fix it once and for all? Why acknowledge what he knew when he knew it when he gets to pretend, he wasn't even there?

Iraq War Ended But Not For Veterans

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
June 13, 2014

Some Iraq veterans are thinking Coalition forces gave up on Iraq too soon. Others think they should have not been sent in the first place. All of you are dealing with your own service facing the news that Iraq is falling apart as a bitter civil war begins.

The truth is, wars are never really honest and few are righteous. You need to know that what you did was honest and righteous because you did it for each other.

That is the reality Vietnam veterans have been living with after they saw the fall of Saigon. They thought their lives were wasted and the fallen died needlessly. If you look at your service that way, that is all you see. If you truly think about it, the reasons you risked your life, you see that it was all about the ones you served with and there is no shame in that.

Wars are started and ended by politicians. They are fought by Soldiers, Marines, Airmen and Sailors. Politicians come and go out of office. War veterans are veterans for the rest of your lives. When wars start and when they end is all up to them. What they do for you or to you afterwards is also up to them. What you do for each other, is always the same. Anything it takes to keep more of your buddies alive.

Bond during military life leaves veterans with a void

Camaraderie of military life leaves veterans with a void
'Ugh. I miss it.' Transitioning from war to isolation
The Washington Post
By Eli Saslow
Published: April 27, 2014

ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. — The only light in the vast Wyoming darkness came from the lit end of another 5:30 a.m. cigarette as Derric Winters waited alone for sunrise on the porch of his trailer. He never slept well, not anymore, so he smoked and stared across the three miles of barren landscape that separated him from town. He checked his voice mail, but there were no messages. He logged on to Facebook, but no one was awake to chat. The only company now was the hum of the interstate behind his trailer, people on their way from one place to the next. He walked out to his truck and joined them.

His shirt read "ARMY," his hat read "10th Mountain Division," and his license plate read "Disabled Veteran." Five bullets rattled on his dashboard as he swerved around another car with his right fist pressed against the horn. "Come on," he said. "Go. Just go!" It had been five years since he returned from 16 months at war, and some days he still acted like he was back in Afghanistan. Many days, he wished that he were.

"The lonely process of overcoming combat" was what one doctor called it as he prescribed Winters the latest in a series of anti-anxiety medications. But what the doctor didn't seem to understand was that this was the place Winters was failing to overcome — the America where he felt discouraged and detached, and where his transition seemed like a permanent state. "What the hell am I supposed to do next?" he had asked his commanding officer when he was medically discharged from the Army, which had provided his income, his sense of purpose, his self-esteem and 15 of his closest friends in a platoon they called "The Brotherhood."

He had tried to replace the war by working construction, roughnecking in the oil fields and enrolling in community college. He had tried divorce and remarriage; alcohol and drugs; biker gangs and street racing; therapy appointments and trips to a shooting range for what he called "recoil therapy." He had tried driving two hours to the hospital in Laramie, proclaiming himself in need of help and checking himself in.
read more here

Ohio GOP Legislator Accused of Insulting Veterans In Hearing

Ohio GOP Legislator Accused of Insulting Veterans In Hearing
The Huffington Post
by Andrew Perez
Posted: 04/24/2014

A Republican lawmaker in Ohio insulted veterans in a hearing he led this month on renewable-energy standards, according to a veteran in attendance.

Iraq War veteran Dan Sawmiller, who is also the Sierra Club's senior campaign representative for Ohio and Kentucky, wrote a letter to the state Senate president on April 14 criticizing Sen. Bill Seitz (R), the Public Utilities Committee chairman, for calling the hearing a "Bataan Death March." From Sawmiller's letter:

On April 9, 2014, I testified as a representative of the Sierra Club in front of your Senate’s Public Utilities Committee, chaired by Senator Bill Seitz. Just before my testimony, the Senator referred to Ohio’s existing clean energy law as a “Bataan Death March.” In case you’re not familiar, the Bataan Death March consisted of 80,000 American and Filipino soldiers who were victims of a heinous war crime where captured troops were forced to march 80 miles through the jungle of the Philippines. They were starved, physically abused, tortured and brutally murdered. As many as 650 American soldiers were killed during the march alone. Those who made it through were tortured as prisoners of war and killed on Japan-bound ships. The selfless service of these veterans is something to be honored, not mocked.

Sawmiller also noted that Seitz opened a pack of cigarettes before leaving the room during one veteran's testimony.

"This behavior is completely devoid of any honor or respect, and is not becoming of the Ohio Senate or the State of Ohio," he added.
read more here

The crisis for veterans is not new

The crisis for veterans is not new
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
March 27, 2014

The crisis for veterans is not new and apparently are not even worthy of the news reporting facts instead of claims made year after year.

There are so many reports on PTSD and suicides tied to the military that it is hard to keep up with all they get wrong.

First, what Senator Walsh got right was that the VA covers veterans for the first 5 years after leaving the military. The second thing he got right is most of the time symptoms of PTSD are often not acknowledged until many years later.

The rest of the claims in this article are pretty much wrong.

Calling suicide among veterans a crisis, Sen. Walsh proposes reforms
Billings Gazette
By Tom Lutey
March 26, 2014

Calling the high suicide rate among America’s combat veterans unacceptable, U.S. Sen. John Walsh, D-Mont., on Wednesday laid out a plan to deal with the crisis.

“Our men and women have given a life commitment to serve our country and we need to make sure we’re taking care of them for the rest of their lives,” Walsh told The Gazette.

Roughly 22 veterans across the country commit suicide daily, according to the Veterans Administration. As a percentage, the rate is double that of the general population. Montana’s suicide rate among veterans was the highest per capita in the nation.

Walsh, a former Montana National Guard adjutant general, said undiagnosed combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries play major roles in the crisis. In some cases, it may take months for symptoms to emerge. By that time, veterans are often disconnected from their combat units and military personnel who might otherwise recognize symptoms.

In some cases, veterans struggling with PTSD or a combat-related brain injury end up receiving a wrongful discharge, meaning from the military’s point of view they suffer from a personality disorder. With that type of discharge, veterans lose their benefits, including care for combat-related mental health issues.

Walsh is proposing a seven-point plan for addressing the suicide crisis, beginning with a review of wrongful discharges, which may number more than 31,000 since the beginning of the Afghan War.
read more here

The crisis for veterans is not new. It has been going on for far too long. Chris Dana committed suicide at the age of 23 with a .22 caliber rifle.

As Gary Dana was collecting his dead son's belongings, he found a letter indicating that the National Guard was discharging his son under what are known as other-than-honorable conditions. The move was due to his skipping drills, which his family said was brought on by the mental strain of his service in Iraq.

The letter was in the trash, near a Wal-Mart receipt for .22-caliber rifle shells.

All across America, veterans such as Chris Dana are slipping through the cracks, left to languish by their military units and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The VA's ability to provide adequate care for veterans with mental ailments has come under increasing scrutiny, and the agency says it's scrambling to boost its resources to help treat post-traumatic stress disorder, prevent suicides and help veterans cope. It's added more mental health counselors and started more suicide-prevention programs.

But the experience in Montana, which by some measures does more than any other state to support America's wars, shows how far the military and the VA have to go.

By September of 2007 TriWest and Montana Veterans Administration had a PTSD video conference.

"Family practitioners and community-based health care providers are integral in helping Montana's returning National Guard troops cope with the emotional and mental health issues resulting from serving in combat," explained David J. McIntyre, President and Chief Executive Officer of TriWest Healthcare Alliance. "This video conference is the first of its kind to combine the resources of the VA and TriWest to reach rural providers caring for these service members as they reintegrate into mainstream civilian life."

While the links to the original source of these reports are long gone, you can read what remains here.

When the battalion's tour of duty ended in late 2005 after 18 months away from home, Specialist Dana was rapidly processed through Department of Defense demobilization facilities to expedite his return home and reintegration into civilian environment. This expedited approach is standard operational procedure for Reserve Component (National Guard and Reserve) units whose tour of duty supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom has ended.

However. Chris Dana's suicide-as well as the many others that have occurred nationwide in the aftermath of National Guard and Reserve combat veterans' return to mainstream civilian life-has prompted Montana's critical assessment of the PDHRA program's effectiveness in reintegrating combat veterans into civilian society.

At the time, President Obama was still a US Senator and on the Veterans Affairs Committee. While running for office, he traveled to the Montana National Guards and met with Matt Kuntz, Dana's stepbrother, because of the efforts of the Montana National Guards leaders on military suicides.

While still the Democratic nominee, Obama promised to expand Montana National Guards program nation wide to address the mental health needs of the troops.

"He (Obama) told me he understood why we need to have additional screenings for PTSD," said Matt Kuntz, Dana's stepbrother, who was among a small group invited to meet with Obama on Wednesday in Billings. "And he told me when he is elected president, he will implement Montana's pilot program nationwide."

Kuntz, who recently gave up his job as a lawyer in Helena to advocate for the mentally ill and their families, said he was invited to brief Obama on how Montana had become a national model for assessing the mental health of its combat vets.

Besides the additional screenings, the Montana National Guard has developed crisis response teams that include a chaplain to investigate behavioral problems among its troops, and TriWest Healthcare pays to have four part-time counselors on hand to talk with soldiers and airmen during weekend drills.

After the briefing, Obama spent about 20 minutes telling several hundred veterans and their families that, if elected as president, he will be committed to meeting their needs.

Despite Obama becoming President and keeping his promise to expand what the Montana National Guard was doing, apparently the screenings were flawed to the point where far too many were still being discharged instead of being helped.

Every year there were more and more less than honorable discharges, as Senator Walsh pointed out however, he is far from the true numbers of abandoned troops.

In the House Minnesota Rep. Tim Walz, a retired Minnesota Army National Guard Command Sergeant Major, wrote a bill to address 31,000 less than honorable discharges in March of 2013.

By May the Huffington Post had this Disposable Soldiers report
Colorado Senator Michael Bennet introduced a bill that would have the Government Accountability Office look into these discharges in November of 2013.

Associated Press reported in February of 2013 that there were 11,000 of these discharges from the Army in 2013.

Wanting to do something, our elected officials do anything instead of figuring out what has been wrong all this time.

Saying military/veteran families are tired of excuses is not enough. As more "efforts" are done while more graves are filled, they are losing hope that other families will not have to endure the same heartbreak.

Tracking these reports for Wounded Times for almost 7 years, everyday, regretfully I surrendered the hope that all we had to do was help veterans become aware of what they needed and why they needed it. All of that, while a start to save their lives is wonderful, the deplorable fact is, the help they are getting has been abysmal and no one is doing anything about it.

Reporters just keep repeating what they are told and fail to discover the facts. The article by the Billings Gazette offers false hope as well as false information. How could they report "which may number more than 31,000" since the start of two wars when last year alone there were 11,000 from the Army itself?

The troops and veterans deserve facts if nothing else.

The American Statesman reported in December of 2012 that the VA would track how veterans died.

Using autopsy results, toxicology reports, inquests and accident reports from more than 50 agencies throughout the state, the Statesman determined the causes of death for 266 Texas veterans who served in operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom and were receiving Department of Veterans Affairs disability benefits when they died. It was the first time a comprehensive view of how recent Texas veterans are dying has been produced.

The Billings Gazette did a report on Ret. Sergeant Ryan Ranalli's battle with PTSD and the fact that 7 of the men he served with committed suicide. They followed up the report with veterans were twice as likely to commit suicide than civilians.

That wasn't enough considering Navy SEAL Robert Guzzo returned from Iraq, he feared seeking treatment for PTSD would endanger his career and committed suicide. His death was reported by The Washington Post, The Fold and they were also the first to report that 22 veterans a day were committing suicide.

"Every day about 22 veterans in the United States kill themselves, a rate that is about 20 percent higher than the Department of Veterans Affairs’ 2007 estimate, according to two-year study by a VA researcher."

But as you can see by this part of the article, what was done before had not worked.

” The number of suicides overall in the United States increased by nearly 11 percent between 2007 and 2010, the study says.

This outcome was after everything was reported to to prevent suicides tied to military service. Now you know the rest of the story.

Lake Baldwin tribute to Vietnam Veterans

I took a ride out to Lake Baldwin memorial park this morning right behind the Orlando VA. If you have never been there, this is what you're missing.

Michigan spends the least on veterans

Michigan ranks last in the nation for per-capita spending on veterans
Michigan Radio.com
Stateside Staff
March 11, 2014

Are Michigan veterans getting what they deserve in terms of benefits and support?

The Veterans Administration says when it comes to per-capita spending on veterans, Michigan checks in at an average of just over $3,400 per vet. The national average is over $4,800. That places Michigan last in the nation.

What is the state doing about this? And what are they doing to make sure that veterans get all the benefits to which they're entitled?

The director of Michigan's Veterans Affairs Agency, Jeff Barnes, joined us today.

Listen to the full interview above.

Michigan Veteran Population as of September 2013

660,773

Thieves stole items from Combat Veterans' Memorial

Veterans outraged by theft of items from memorial
Tri-City Herald
By Geoff Folsom
March 7, 2014

The boots and plaque are all that remain of the veterans memorial at Flat Top Park in West Richland. KRISTINA LORD — Tri-City Herald

The apparent theft of an M-16 rifle and helmet from a West Richland memorial has outraged Mid-Columbia veterans.

Dan Richey, a member of Combat Veterans International Chapter 3 who lives around the corner from Flat Top Park, noticed early last month that the rifle and helmet were missing from the top of the 2 rock they had been perched on for more than 12 years.

The bronze boots at the base of the sculpture also were damaged.

Richey said he checks The Final Tribute veterans memorial on his regular walks to the park, where he also monitors the memorial's nearby flags to ensure they're in good flying shape.

"I'm appalled and dismayed," he said. "I can't believe we have individuals in our neighborhood who would do such a thing."

Richey reported the vandalism to police. West Richland police are investigating the theft, said Sgt. Thomas Grego. Bobby Dale Albers of Kennewick, sergeant at arms for Combat Veterans International Chapter 3, said the theft and damage goes "way beyond vandalism."
read more here

Forty-one Senators Told Veterans They Are Not Worth Votes

This is funny and sickening at the same time. Why? Because it is all true. But this wasn't just about voting against veterans.

Jon Stewart Is Shocked (But Not Surprised) By GOP Killing Veterans Bill
The Huffington Post
by Ross Luippold
Posted: 03/06/2014

When a bill came up for vote that would have expanded health care and education for veterans, we knew two things would happen next. First, Republicans would block the bill, because that's kind of their thing. Then, Jon Stewart would deliver a passionate monologue explaining just how disgraceful this is.
read more here

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,The Daily Show on Facebook

U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 113th Congress - 2nd Session as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate
Vote Summary
Question: On the Motion (Motion to Waive All Applicable Budgetary Discipline Re: S.1982 )
Vote Number: 46
Vote Date: February 27, 2014, 02:26 PM
Required For Majority: 3/5
Vote Result: Motion Rejected Measure Number: S. 1982 (Comprehensive Veterans Health and Benefits and Military Retirement Pay Restoration Act of 2014 )
Measure Title: A bill to improve the provision of medical services and benefits to veterans, and for other purposes.
Vote Counts:
YEAs 56
NAYs 41
Not Voting 3

VOTED AGAINST VETERANS

NAYs ---41
Alexander (R-TN) 521,267
Ayotte (R-NH) 110,778
Barrasso (R-WY) 56,518
Blunt (R-MO) 497,874
Boozman (R-AR) 250,095
Burr (R-NC) 769,384
Chambliss (R-GA) 774,764
Coats (R-IN) 490,380
Coburn (R-OK) 340,395
Cochran (R-MS) 225,469
Collins (R-ME) 127,694
Corker (R-TN) 521,267
Cornyn (R-TX) 1,667,740
Crapo (R-ID) 138,108
Cruz (R-TX) 1,667,740
Enzi (R-WY) 56,518
Fischer (R-NE) 138,773
Flake (R-AZ) 527,400
Graham (R-SC) 420,968
Grassley (R-IA)233,815
Hatch (R-UT) 150,771
Hoeven (R-ND) 56,213
Inhofe (R-OK) 340,395
Isakson (R-GA) 774,464
Johanns (R-NE) 138,773
Johnson (R-WI) 409,419
Kirk (R-IL) 774,710
Lee (R-UT) 150,771
McCain (R-AZ) 527,400
McConnell (R-KY) 339,334
Paul (R-KY) 339,334
Portman (R-OH) 877,894
Risch (R-ID) 138,108
Roberts (R-KS) 223,708
Rubio (R-FL) 1,520,563
Scott (R-SC) 420,968
Sessions (R-AL) 414,963
Shelby (R-AL) 414,963
Thune (R-SD) 75,687
Toomey (R-PA) 953,644
Vitter (R-LA) 315,342

It isn't the first time. It happened last year too.

"Americans don't trust us," said Sen.Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee. "And why should Americans trust us when we keep using gimmicks and budget sleight of hand to hide more spending and drive the country further into debt."

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs I have just added in these "Nay" votes population by state as of 9-30-13

Orlando Veterans Events

Veterans Events from Cathy Haynes

MARCH 2014 - Upcoming military, veterans and patriotic events in Central Florida

If you wish to be removed from the email list, just let me know.

Please share these events with your friends and interested others and attend.  Post where appropriate.

 

 

Welcome Home Celebration and Veteran Resource Fair – Sat. Mar 1 – for returned OEF/OIF/OND and ALL era veterans.  Bring your family for a FREE day (9am – 2pm) at the Central Florida Zoo, 3755 NW Hwy 17-92, Sanford, 32773.  Sponsored by the Orlando VA Med. Center.  Info:  321-397-6116   vhaorlnewovamc@va.gov

 

Highlighted Interview on American Warrior Radio – Sat. Mar 1 – Fallujah veteran Marine Sgt. Marty Gonzalez discusses the incidents of nine years ago and today.  He received three Purple Heart medals and two Bronze Stars in Iraq along with severe wounds – physical and mental.  11am-noon EDT on Saturdays, radio station WMEL - AM 1300    Nationwide broadcast:  www.1300wmel.com   AVET Project sponsors this broadcast.

 

Short Notice – Home At Last Welcome Reception – Sun Mar 2 – This will be the sixth Home at Last project honoring a combat-wounded veteran of the military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. Marine Sgt. Stephen Tovet and his wife, Krystina, will receive a specially planned home from the West Orange Habitat for Humanity special project Home At Last.   Sgt. Tovet was born in Orlando, FL and grew up in Apopka. Stephen and Krystina were Apopka High School sweethearts.  An IED blast during his Afghanistan service in 2011 resulted in loss of his left leg, part of a hand and multiples surgeries to reconstruct the hand and his lower right leg.  Fund raising efforts will continue thru the year. Checks or money orders should be made payable to West Orange Habitat for Humanity and mailed to: P.O. Box 38, Oakland, FL 34760. Please be sure to indicate your contribution is for "Home at Last 2014." Event reception: Tanner Hall, 29 W. Garden Ave., Winter Garden,  POC: Bill Criswell - 407-876-2472  wccriswell@earthlink.net.

 

Veterans Court in Orange County - military veterans are needed to be mentors to other veterans who have had some “challenges with the law.”  Offenses are currently primarily misdemeanors.  Attempts will be made to match officers, enlisted, branches and functions.  Pay it back or Pass it Forward by making a difference.  Contact Diana at 407-603-6538   dsm@dianamierslaw.com 

 

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

 

5th Annual CFNL Wounded Warrior Lone Sailor 5K/10K  – Sat. Apr 5 – Central Florida Navy League sponsors this event at Baldwin Park, site of the former Navy Enlisted Training Base.  More info to come.  See www.cfnl5k.org  and   www.cfnavyleague.org

 

Stand Down in Seminole County – Sat. Apr 12  - Services and information for veterans, especially homeless ones.  Volunteers, service providers and products will be needed.  The date for Orange County will be in Sept.   Contact Sean Gibbs of Homeless Services Network of Central FL, 407-893-0133  sean.gibbs@hsncfl.org  

 

Operation Giveback Golf Tournament – Fri. Apr 25 - Champions Gate International Course, exit 58 on I-4.  8:30am Shotgun Start, lunch buffet, contests, raffles, auction;

All proceeds will benefit wounded warriors, their families, and the children of our fallen heroes. Sponsorships available.  1400 Masters Blvd, ChampionsGate, 33896  Contact: Jeff@operation-giveback.org or visit our website: operation-giveback.org 

 

Vietnam and All Veterans Reunion – May 1 – 4 – The nations’ largest veterans’ reunion.  Military displays, military vendors, POW-MIA ceremonies, Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall.  Wickham Park in Brevard Co, Melbourne.  Take I-95 to Exit 191 or old Exit 73.  Info: floridaveteransreunion.com  321-501-6896 or 321-427-2843 

 

Medal of Honor Recipient Recognition – Fri. May 2 – Marine veteran Hershel Williams will be recognized in our community. This WW2 Marine with service on Iwo Jima that earned him the MOH – he is the last surviving recipient from the service on that island.  In addition, he is one of only 2 WW2 MOH Marines living.  The other noble Marine is in very frail health.  Plans for the day include a Meet and Greet starting at 12 noon for about 1 hour at the Museum of Military History in Kissimmee.  The evening highlights with a fundraising dinner.   Proceeds will go to several organizations - including the Hershel "Woody" Williams Foundation that will build a monument in honor of Gold Star Families.  (FYI - Before his enlistment, at age 15 Mr. Williams drove a taxi that also delivered telegrams from the War Department to casualty families.  It left him touched with what happens on the porches of the home front.)  Tables/sponsorships for the dinner will be available. Details will be provided soon.  

The Military Edge Inaugural "Armed Forces Day" Golf Tournament – Sat. May 17, Rosen Shingle Creek Golf Club, 9939 Universal Blvd. Orlando, FL 32819 Fundraising event to benefit scholarship program, job expos, youth programs, and veteran projects .  Please contact Nik Patterson for additional details 513-898-9097  npatterson@themilitaryedge.com;   www.themilitaryedge.com

 

4th Annual Pars & Stripes Forever Golf Tournament - Fri, May 30, at Orange County National.  Camaraderie Foundation organizes this fund raising event to assist military personnel and their families with counseling needs and transition.   Marriages, families and lives are saved.  Sponsorships welcomed.  www.camaraderiefoundation.com    407-841-0071.

 

American Legion, Dept of FL Annual Convention – June 12-15 at The Renaissance Orlando at Sea World.  Info: members.floridalegion.org/convention   Mary at 407-295-2631 x232

 

EXTRAS of Interest:

Attention veterans - The local Center for Personal Excellence (healthylivingorlando.com) is developing a national reality TV series focusing on veterans needs, issues and treatments.  For veterans who would like to tell their story and get some help for effects of battle on their mental health. All ages and service eras are welcome, including regulars, reservists and guardsmen of all branches.  The show will initially be filmed in the Orlando Metro area.  Family participation is not required but their involvement may enhance production.  If selected, your story may help others who experienced the same or similar stressors.  Contact Dr. Linda Levine Silverman  at  cpeenterprisesllc@gmail.com   so you can be contacted, screened, interviewed, etc.  321-945-1153

 

Items of Interest:

·         American Warrior Radio Show  from 11am-noon EDT on Saturdays, radio station WMEL - AM 1300    Nationwide broadcast: www.1300wmel.com 

·         WoundedTimes.blogspot.com - Veterans News Service covering news that matters to veterans and their families. Local, state and national news and events – especially with videos involving Central Florida military and veterans. Dedicated to defeating Combat PTS.

·         Shades of Green Resort – Armed Forces Recreation Center on Disney property provides various packages for active duty, reservists, guardmen, 100% service connected disabled, and retired military personnel and their families.  Go to www.shadesofgreen.org  for information.  Special discounts for rooms may be available based on occupancy levels, and special ticket rates.  (407) 824-3400

·         Vet Centers are available for combat zone veterans to help with personal and family readjustment counseling and outreach services.   The nearest centers are located in Orlando, Melbourne, Clermont, and Daytona Beach.      www.vetcenter.va.gov/

·         The Navy Exchange (NEX) – Mgr. Nancy Devore was transferred to Guantanamo Bay.  Jennifer McComas joins Orlando NEX as Mgr from Key West.  Stop by and say “Hi!”  NEX in Orlando is for all branches of active duty military, reservists, guardsmen, retirees, 100% service-connected disabled veterans and their dependents.  It is located west of Orlando Int’l Airport, about 1 mile south of the Beachline Expy/528 on Tradeport Dr.  Competitive pricing and programs.  7151 Earhart Dr., Orlando, 32827.    www.mynavyexchange.com  407-857-3550

·         Military OneSource is a free service provided by the Department of Defense (DoD) to active duty, Guard and Reserve service members, and their families with comprehensive information on every aspect of military life including deployment, relationships, economics, grief, education, parenting and child care, and much more.  www.militaryonesource.mil

 

Caring and sharing,

 

Cathy Haynes

Member/supporter of numerous veteran  and military organizations in Central Florida

407-239-8468

chaynes11629@yahoo.com